Reuniting for a Common Goal
by nannodayo
Summary: Sasuke finally shows up, reanimated hokages in tow. [ Post-627 ] [ manga spoilers ] [ mild sasunaru ]


Naruto balanced in a crouch, one hand on the ground holding him steady, the allied shinobi forces gathered at his back. He had thought that, since everyone was fighting together, that they would finally be able to defeat Madara (the real one) and Obito (the fake one). He was sorely mistaken - they were doing badly; many were injured or worse - Neji was dead - and things were only going downhill. From what he could decipher of Kurama's frantic shouting in his head, it was about to hit the fan.

Sweat gathered on his forehead, and he swiped at it in annoyance. If only there was more he could do to save everyone-! Of course, he would still give it his all, but Naruto was honestly fearing, if only internally, that things may not turn out the way they wished them to.

It would have been easier, of course, if he didn't have to control all of the chakra that he'd leant out - but that meant more injuries, more casualties, more pain and suffering and all the things he was _trying to prevent hello that's the point of this; _he would keep it up for everyone's sake, even if it cost him a lot. That's how he was, and he personally didn't see any point in changing then.

Suddenly Madara got a weird look on his face - and Naruto would be the first to admit that his expression was always a little bit off, anyway, but this was different. He was showing... emotion? If that was even the right word for it; either way he seemed ridiculously excited for something, and Naruto prayed to whatever deity may exist that they weren't about to succeed in their Tsuki no Me plan.

(Obviously, he was against it - enforced peace? Is that some kind of bad joke? It was an all-around bad deal, and even though he sometimes wondered if he'd be happier then (what with living parents and a non-asshole Sasuke and all), he still rejected it.)

Naruto noticed, along with the many soldiers gathered in what was essentially a chasm of rubble thanks to all the bijuu balls getting thrown around, a trail of dust rapidly approaching the battlefield. Everyone turned to look, curious, even in war, about the unknown. Even Madara (the real one, that is) was paying attention to it - and as he did so, the creepily happy expression on his face only got more intense.

The dust trail reached the crest of the rim that surrounded the more-or-less huge circular hollow there were situated in, and continued on, plunging straight down the hill, and there was so much rubble and dust and smoke that no one could see what - or possibly who - it was.

Kakashi said something, or maybe he didn't - Naruto wasn't paying him much attention right then - but it sounded vaguely astonished and full of disbelief, if it was indeed spoken. Obito (the fake one - he had so many names, Naruto could hardly keep up) was pulling a face that matched Kakashi's maybe-non-existent tone, and Naruto was _really really curious _until he remembered that _idiot you're in bijuu mode you can _sense things _just go for it_, which he did.

Amongst the puffs of smoke (how long were they going to linger there?) he could feel many different chakra signatures, and all were strong and powerful. One of them kind of felt like Yamato's (and it couldn't really be him because he was kidnapped and oops we kind of forgot about him); another was close to that, but more watery; there were two that felt familiar, and although he couldn't pinpoint who they were from memory, the memory felt kind of bad.

The rest were all extremely familiar to him, even though some he had felt only once or twice. The one that stood out prominently to him was that of Orochimaru (that slimy fucker, did he ever die?), a being that he was entirely unhappy to have there. Immediately distracting him from hateful thoughts, though, were three more chakra signatures, two of which he had believed lost forever: the Third and Fourth Hokages (Old man Third and Dad, in his mind), along with another entirely unexpected person.

Two greeted him, one after the other; one was stoically apathetic, the other emotional and on the verge of tears.

"What, you can't even defeat two guys, usuratonkatchi? I'd hoped you'd at least gotten a little stronger..."

"Naruto... I'm so glad to finally meet you, son..."

The third (hah, Third) was more sombre, giving a quiet, "It's good to see you again. You've grown some, I see."

A medley of emotions, not all of which could really be considered healthy in the doses that he was suddenly receiving, rushed through Naruto, and even as the dust settled and Madara (real) and the First Hokage (reanimated) started the beginnings of a battle the likes of which hadn't been seen since the Valley of the End was created and Minato started hounding Obito (fake) and everyone from the Leaf got generally emotional over the Sandaime, his eyes could only focus on a solitary figure, now ass-bow free.

"Are you going to admire me all day, or are we going to fight this ugly piece of trash?"

His heart sang, and despite the war and death and basically the entire situation a smile lit his face up; no one other than the man who was his best friend, his rival, the one he felt closest to despite all of the distance and harsh words and swords at his throat could possibly describe the fearsome Ten-tails an 'ugly piece of trash'.

He turned, and he felt Kurama grin along with him as though he had proved a point (and he may have, you never really know with him), and for the first time in years (which felt like aching, empty, cold decades) he faced an enemy with Uchiha Sasuke at his side.

He'd talk to his dad later; he'd deal with everything, even the inevitable fight with Sasuke, later, later, and enjoy the warmth of the familiar, comforting presence at his side as they strode for a common goal.


End file.
